Page 203 of The Texas Sterling Collection
“Rod is my husband, Dr. Riordan. But if you are uncomfortable with that term, the word partner is fine,” Wyl looked to Rod. Rod smiled and nodded.
“If you are okay with husband, so am I,” Dr. Riordan smiled. “Rod, how would you like to be addressed?”
“I have a Ph.D. in musicology, so how about Dr. Rod Bonner Sterling?” Rod winked at Wyl. “My Ph.D. is in the name of Bonner, but my married name is Sterling.”
“Perfect!” Dr. Riordan exhibited a confidence that seemed second nature to him.
“General Steinburg spoke very highly of you both,” Commissioner Kane said. “He assured me he was sending his best men to Ireland.”
Heat rose in Wyl’s cheeks. “Thank you, Commissioner Kane. Rod and I are honored to meet you, sir. General Steinburg also spoke highly of you.”
“We try to run a tight ship here in Ireland,” he said. “But sometimes we require expertise we don’t have on the Emerald Isle. I’m glad we can count on our comrades in the States to lend a hand.”
“We are happy to do so, sir,” Rod said.
“Have you two met Dr. MacGowan?” Dr. Riordan asked. “He’s the top man at GMIT in terms of computer technology. He graduates approximately twenty skilled students each year. By succeeding in his program, they are guaranteed top jobs with some of the best firms in the world.”
“Rod and I happened to bump into Dr. MacGowan and his partner Declan Knowlan when we visited the Galway Tr…uh…Racecourse on Saturday,” Wyl said.
“Quite by accident, we sat with them at lunch and had a delightful conversation. Knowlan is quite the expert on betting the horses,” Rod said.
“Ah, yes, Declan Knowlan,” Commissioner Kane said. “Interesting fellow. Quite a dicey history, but I think he adapted well to his role at the university.”
“Commissioner, rest assured, we know the situation and will do our best to alleviate the concern.” Wyl looked directly at Commissioner Kane.
“I appreciate that, Mr. Sterling. You have my support.”
“So you two own a ranch in Texas?” Mrs. Riordan asked.
“Yes. The ranch has been in my family since the 1800s,” Wyl said.
“Oh, tell us about the ranch,” Mrs. Kane said.
“We have 6,400 acres in West Texas, about 150 miles east of the New Mexico border.”
“That is quite a large ranch, is it not?” Commissioner Kane asked. “6,400 acres is about ten square miles.”
“A hair shy of ten square miles, Commissioner,” Wyl said.
“How big is Texas, Wyl?” Dr. Riordan asked.
“The State of Texas covers over 268,500 square miles or around 172 million acres, Commissioner,” Wyl said. “So, if Ireland is roughly 32,500 square miles, that makes Texas approximately eight times the size of Ireland.”
“We did some comparisons,” Rod said. “The northeastern point of Northern Ireland, southwest to the southwest town of Dingle, is approximately 350 miles. In Texas, the northern Panhandle town of Dalhart is approximately 900 miles from Brownsville, located at the southern tip of Texas. We have a rhyme to poke fun at our state:The sun has riz, the sun has set, and we ain’t out of Texas yet.
Dr. Riordan laughed. “Well,thatcertainly puts things in perspective.”
“If you ever come to the States, Dr. & Mrs. Riordan or Commissioner and Mrs. Kane, please accept our invitation to stay a few days at our ranch. We’ll put you on horseback and show you a real, functioning Texas cattle ranch.”
“We’ll definitely take you up on that offer,” Commissioner Kane smiled.
They finished the meal in relative silence. At twelve-thirty, Dr. Riordan asked, “Wyl, are you ready?”
“You bet, Dr. Riordan.”
Dr. Riordan stood and climbed the steps to the dais, taking the podium. “I hope everyone enjoyed that wonderful lunch. Let’s give a round of applause to the waitstaff and caterers for their attention to our needs.” He began applauding, and the audience joined him.
“It is my privilege today to introduce Mr. Wyl Sterling. Mr. Sterling has an unparalleled reputation as a computer programmer, having worked in cybersecurity while serving in the United States Marine Corps. He retired from the Corps almost eighteen months ago and has since married and settled down. He and his husband, Dr. Rod Bonner Sterling, own a large ranch in West Texas, a ranch we learned at lunch is roughly ten square miles in size. No wonder they use horses in Texas.” Dr. Riordan laughed, and the audience joined him.
